North Korean Missiles
Unless you've been in a box since last week, you've heard that North Korea is threatening to test launch a Taepodong-2 missile. Intelligence information including satelite photos indicate that the missile has been fueled. The Taepodong-2 can reach parts of the United States (and from what Base10 has read, can reach all of the United States if it incorporates an additional booster stage). Japan is naturally very twitchy over this event.
US policy options are numerous:

• Do nothing. This tactic is taken from the Europeans and certain elements of the American media. Simply do nothing and hope the problem goes away while making excuses for why our enemies hate us. Frankly, it's not an option.


• Launch a premptive strike against the launch site. While this has the virtue of dewtroying the missile before N. Korean scientists can get the test data, it is likely to destabilize the region even more. This course of action is urged by a couple of former White House policy makers. Some commentators have noted that this is exactly opposite of the position that they held when they were actually policy makers.


• Use America's nascent missile defense system to try to shoot down the Taepodong-2. This approach has the virtue of telling every tin-pot dictator in the world that your missiles are useless against us and our allies. Base10 likes this approach, even if it might not work, because it shows American resolve in thinking outside of the box. If the interceptor is close, it would not only show progress in the technology but also show America's willingness to use it.

- posted by Base10 @ 10:11 AM